Sorbus aucuparia (European Mountain Ash), Ranunculus bulbosus (Bulbous Buttercup), Tegenaria domestica (Barn Funnel Weaver). Sheet 39 from the portfolio Nature Studies is a singular drawing created by the Swedish artist Hilma af Klint between June 2–4, 1920. This work is one of 46 meticulous studies that comprise the artist’s Nature Studies portfolio, a complex project that blends scientific observation with esoteric inquiry.
Klint renders the piece using a precise combination of watercolor, pencil, ink, gouache, and metallic paint on paper, utilizing the varied media to create layers of texture and subtle shimmer. The composition juxtaposes three distinct elements of the micro-natural world: the structural integrity of the mountain ash and the buttercup are examined alongside the delicate, complex anatomy of the barn funnel weaver spider. While the subjects appear to be standard botanical or entomological illustrations, Klint used these close observations as vehicles for exploring deeper, unseen connections in the universe, a methodology central to her artistic practice.
As a pioneer of abstract art, Klint consistently utilized her drawings to map the spiritual significance of organic forms. The incorporation of metallic paint here suggests a heightened, non-naturalistic reality applied to the seemingly ordinary biological specimens. This piece exemplifies Klint’s highly systematic approach to cataloging the world around her during the 1920s, a crucial decade that followed her foundational works in pure abstraction.
The resulting drawing offers an intimate glimpse into the artist’s process, bridging scientific documentation and spiritual visualization. This unique historical drawing, Sorbus aucuparia (European Mountain Ash), Ranunculus bulbosus (Bulbous Buttercup), Tegenaria domestica (Barn Funnel Weaver). Sheet 39 from the portfolio Nature Studies, is housed in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art.
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